Roller-shelf for incubators.



C. SELBY, SR. 8L1. SELBY, Ia.

ROLLER SHELF FOR INCUBATORS. APPLICATION man FEB. I6. 1915. RENEWED111N921. 1917.

,1',235,066. Patented July 3-1, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

CHESTER SELBY, SB, AND JAMES SELBY, JR., OF MONTREAL, MISSOURI.

ROLLER-SHELF FOR INCUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed February 16, 1915, Serial No. 8,517. Renewed June 21,1917. Serial No. 176,252.

To all to 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHESTER SELBY, Sn, and JA MES SELBY, Jr., citizensof the United States, residing at Montreal, in the county of Camden andState of Missouri, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inRoller-Shelves for Incubators; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invenion, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to roller shelves, especially designed for use inconnection with incubators.

The invention has for its; object to provide a roller shelf of novel andefiicient construction including a frame and a pair of removable andinterchangeable strips mounted therein and supporting a plurality ofrollers.

Another object is the provision of a roller shelf for incubatorsincluding a plurality of egg supporting rollers designed to besimultaneously rotated to turn the eggs supported thereon.

Another object is the provision of novel means for rotating the rollersand transmitting rotary motion from one to the other of the rollers.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will behereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the roller shelf.

Fig. 2 represents a fragmental longitudinal sectional view on the line22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4: represents a fragmental perspective view of one of the cornersof the shelf.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral5 indicates generally the frame of the roller shelf, which is preferablyrectangular in formation and includes pairs of side and end members 6and 7 respectively. A pair of guide plates 8 are secured to the outerlongitudinal edges of the side or longitudinal members 6 of the frameand the upper longitudinal edges 9 thereof are turned inwardly anddownwardly, as clearly illustrated in Fig. at.

Strips or blocks 10 substantially triangular in cross section areslidably mounted upon the top surfaces of the side members 6 and therelatively small upper edges thereof are engaged between the plate 8 andthe downwardly and inwardly directed flange or edge 9 thereof to securethe blocks against lateral movement within the frame 5. The blocks 10are secured in adjusted position in the frame by removable screws 11, orequivalent means.

A plurality of equidistant apertures are formed transversely through theblocks 10 and rotatably receive a plurality of egg-supporting rollers12, preferably of hollow tubular formation and constructed of a light,durable metal.

Longitudinally elongated openings 13 are formed in the opposite ends ofthe opposed side plates 8 and are adapted to register with thelongitudinal openings through the end rollers 12, for the reception ofeither end of an operating crank 14, having slotted ends 15 adapted toreceive pins 16 secured diametrically through the end rollers 12adjacent their opposite ends.

A cord or other flexible element 17 secured at one end to one of the endrollers 12, is coiled a number of times about said roller and is coiledonce about the central portion of each of the rollers intermediate theend rollers, the opposite extremity of the flexible element beingsecured to the other end roller 12. When the operating crank 14E isinserted within and engaged with the pin 16 of either of the end rollersor tubes 12 and is rotated to wind the flexible element 17 on the rollersaid flexible element is unwound from the roller at the opposite end ofthe frame, thus rotating the last mentioned roller together with each ofthe intermediate rollers over which the flexible element travels.

In use, the roller shelf is suitably sup ported within the incubator(not shown) and the eggs to be hatched are placed in rows upon thesupporting rollers 12, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When itis desired to turn the eggs the crank 14 is inserted in the end of oneof the end rollers 12 and is rotated to wind the flexible element 17thereon, thus rotating each of the other rollers 12 and impartingrotational movement to the eggs supported thereon. When the chickshatch, they drop between the rollers 12 and through the rectangularframe 5 into the incubator nursery, While the shells are supported uponthe rollers. It is clearly evident that all of the eggs disposed Withinthe holder are simultaneously turned Without any jar or handlingthereof.

In. order that eggs of various sizes may be supported Within the holder,blocks having openings various distances apart are provided forrotatably supporting the rollers 12 in proper spaced relation. It isclearly evident that the blocks and rollers 12 mounted therein may bequickly and conveniently removed from and replaced Within the frame 5 bysimply removing the screws 11.

What I claim is:

A roller shelf for incubators comprising a frame, a pair of side platessecured to the side members of said frame and having the upper edgesdirected inwardly and downwardly, a pair of blocks mounted upon saidside members and under the curved edges of said side plates, meanssecuring the blocks in place and adapted to be removed to permit theblocks to be Withdrawn longitudinally from said frame, and rollersmounted in said blocks.

In testimony whereof We afliX our signatures in presence of tWoWitnesses.

CHESTER SELBY, Sn. JAMES SELBY, JR. Vitnesses:

RALPH REED, C. E. FoWLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

